Pedal-folding apparatus.



Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

. 9 WIM@ F. G. WHITE.

PEDAL FOLDING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIOH FILED BAILE, 1909.

. @ULM/mosey slide 1G conveniently located near the key-,Q Il n UNITED sTATEs rATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. WHITE, oF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNon, TQAEWLQX 6c WHITE COMPANY, or MEEIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A oonronarran.eorA QQNE'EQTICUT.

. lf PEDAL-FOLDING APPARATUS..

V ratateii 'Dee 7,1909.

Application led March 5, 190.9. Serial lo.'4`81,501`.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK C. lWI-IITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at. Meriden, New Haven county, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Pedal-Foldin Apparatus, of which vthe following is a ful clear, and exact. description. v

My invention relates to improvements m mechanical piano playing instruments.

The `object of the invention is to )rovide means for mechanically returning the foot pedals of the pumping apparatus to an idle position wherein they are concealed from view, usually within the case of the instru` ment. A

`In the accompanying drawing., Figure 1 conventionally represents a portion of a player-piano, so-called; the foot pedal being extended ready for use and said view showing such other parts as are essential to an understanding of the principle of my invention in o'ne preferred form thereof. Fi 2 is a similar view, showing the foot pedals folded back out of the way.

In the drawing, 1 1 represent parts of the piano case or housing, 2 represents the pedal board of conventional form hinged to the front under side of said case in a proper position to carry a foot edal 3, which, when the pedal board 2 is in t e position shown in Fig. 1, stands in a position ready for operation; and, which, when the pedal board is folded up as shown .in Fig. 2, is out of the` way and hidden from view within the instrument case. The pedal 3 is operatively connected with" the feeder bellows 5 in the usual well known manner (not shown), the latter being connected with the equalizing bellows 6 in the usual manner. The e ualizin bellows is distended b means o the usua spring 7 and collapsed ythebellows 5.

8 is a lever arm connect to the pedal board.

9 is a slide connected `at one end to the lever arm 8 and guided within the case by anti-friction supports 10-102 1l is a lever pivoted at 12 on a walking beam 13 and connected at its yend to the movable board of th'e equalizing bellows by a link 14. The lower end of the lever 11 is provided with a hook or latch 15.

y The operating device for the Walkin beam 13 comprises a manually controlle board of the piano, lfor example, under the same. Thisslide l6is connected by a bell crank 17 and ridl'Sv withwalk'ihg beam 13.

It should be andere ood `tltattl'ie above description relatesoiil "tliat form ott my inventionv showi inf` y ing andi tha't"`i'ri'axiyi1fndiig lbns' may be resorted to 'Wi'thdtlHpiilU' "from" the spirit or sco eof my invehtzil'o ,any suitable mechanism y.which'th'e desired end is attained being regarded by me as' Within the scope of the invention.

In operation', when the slide' 16 is pulled out, as shown in the accompanying drawing, the rod ll'is moved, down 1u lsuch af manner that if the e ufallia'erlbellows fis collapsed by pumping a extrafstrolresfthe atch or Catch 15 at their) "naar he 'rod will enage back odian' gutmehtl ohthe slide 9.

f the foot is,thenlreni'ovetli14 orltlie pedal, the opening 'movement of theile'` ilalizing bellows, elfe'cted `by spring 7,`wi1 operate to move ythe lever 11toy the position, or a proximately the position, shown in t e drawing, and since the lower` end of said lever is now connected with slide V9, it follows that as the slide is drawn in, the pedal board 2 will be folded up into the same plane as'the front lower panel 4,`retiring the pedal or pedals 3 from view and within the case of the piano. To free the pedal board 2, the slide 1'6 is pushed in. This movement lifts the lever 11, freeing catch 15 from the abutment 19 of slide 9, which latter may then be lowered, either manually or by gravity, or in any other well known manner. VI have shown the pedal retirin lever 11 as connected in this inst-ance to gie equalizing bellows 6, but obviously this is only one convenient means for mechanically operating said lever.

It will'be seen that the apparatus described presents unique avd'antages,whe`reas, in the ordinary instrument of this character, it was necessary to manuall lift the pedal board,to retire the edal rom view, that act is now performe mechanically, the operator in this particular instance being merely required to pump vi orously upon the foot edal juntil the equa izer 6 is collapsed. lf the slide 16 is in the properposition, the catch 15 es the abutment 19 after which the closing bf the pedal board and retirement e pedal is mekchanically elected by the expansion of the equalizing bellows. During the playing of the instrument, the lover 11 is shifted so as to clear the abutment 9.

lVhat I claim is:

l. In an instrument of the character described, a ease, a foot pedal, a carrier therefor arranged when' in oneposition to present said pedal for operation and when in uuother position to retire said pedal within the case, and a manuall controllable power device for shifting sai pedal sup ort and pedal from the operative or extendied position to the inoperative or retired position.

2. In an instrument of the character described, a case, a foot pedal, a carrier therefor arranged when in one position to present said pedal for operation and when in another position to retire said pedal within the case and a manuali controllable power device fior shifting sai pedal support and pedal from the operative to the inoperative or retired position, said power device including a bellows und a connection between said bellows and the parts to be shifted.

3. In an instrument of the character described, a case, a foot pedal, a carrier therefor arranged when in one position to present said pedal for operation and when in another position to retire said edal within the case, and a manuall controqluble power device for shifting saidy pedal support and pedal from the operative to the inoperative or retired position, said ower device including a normally disten ed equalizer bellows and a connection between the movable part of said bellows and the parts to Vbe shifted.

4. ln en instrument of the character described, a case, a foot pedal, a carrier there for arranged when 1n one position to present said pedal for operation and when in another position to retire said pedal within the case, and a power device for shifting said pedal support and pedal from the operative to the inoperative or retired position, said power device including a normally distcnded equalizer bellows and a connection between the movable part of said bellows and the arts t be shifted, and manually controlla le means operatively connected with said power device whereby the latter may be manually moved into and out of the operative position.

5. An instrument'of the character de scribed, including bellows and means for operating the same, a foot pedal, a movabltl support therefor arranged to hold said foot pedal in operative osition and arranged to wld said foot pe al in an inoperative or out'of the way position, and a power device for shifting said pedal supporting means and pedal to the last mentioned position, and a controllingr device for moving said power device into and out of its operative position.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination of pedal mechanism movable into and from operable position,` self-acting meansl for moving said mechanism from said position, and a device to prevent or permit movement of such mechanism by said means.

FRANK C. WHITE.

Witnesses R. C. MITCHELL,

(ll-ms. A. li-mlutn. 

